Heroes Never Cry
by Phoenix-The-wannabe
Summary: Naruto is hiding behind a mask, but it isn't an awesome badass lurking behind the smile – just a boy who gave up a long time ago.


**:Naruto:**

Phoenix-The-wannabe presents:

**Heroes Never Cry**

**Summary: **Naruto is hiding behind a mask, but it isn't an awesome badass lurking behind the smile – just a boy who gave up a long time ago.

**Category: **Angst/Drama/Action

**Rating: **M

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Naruto. It is the respective property of Musashi Kishimoto. I'm just hijacking the characters without his permission for awhile.

...

"Uzumaki Naruto! Uchiha Sasuke!" Iruka called out, "Would the both of you please step up to the front of the group in order to begin the sparring session."

It was a bright and sunny morning's day in Konaha. The atmosphere was perfect for learning in Iruka's opinion. He'd just brought out his young group of hopeful Academy students, thinking that today would be a good day to educate them on combat as a shinobi through experience.

He'd started off by having Shikamaru and Chouji face off against each other and was annoyed at the fact that both boys had agreed to calling off the whole thing. He should have seen it coming, so instead he decided to switch up his strategy by having two students who'd never communicated at all, step forth and demonstrate how intricate combat can be.

And who better to use than the two he'd just called out?

Hopefully it wouldn't blow in his face as he'd seem to get the feeling that using two bi-polar opposites wasn't such a good idea...

Two boys emerged from different ends of the largely gathered crowd of Academy students. The first to approach was a young ecstatic blond boy with azure eyes, spotting strange whisker marks on his cheeks. He carried an excited grin which etched onto his face as he came in front of Iruka. This was none other than Konoha's number one prankster, Naruto.

The second boy to approach was a complete contrast to the first. Instead of Naruto's bright blond, not only were his eyes obsidian but his hair was a deep raven in colour. He carried a mask of indifference as the girls gathered around started to cheer for him, yelling annoying phrases such as 'You're so cool Sasuke-kun!' as he too stood in front of his sensei. He was known to Konoha as the only surviving member of the recent tragedy known as the Uchiha Clan Massacre, Sasuke.

Naruto's eyes narrowed in annoyance at the attention Sasuke was receiving from the girls of the Academy, specifically Sakura-chan. He never got what made the teme so awesome in the first place. He turned to the Uchiha, pointing a thumb at the green goggles on his forehead, "Name's Uzumaki Naruto! Future Hokage of Konohakagure no Sato and don't you forget it da'ttebayo!"

Sasuke gave no verbal response which seemed to irked Naruto the wrong way as he turned to Iruka-sensei, silently conveying that he was awaiting the man's signal to start the match. He'd wipe the floor with this guy, he didn't care who he was, the only thing that mattered was becoming stronger as that was the only way he'd be able to avenge the clan.

Iruka sighed at Naruto's outburst and the look Sasuke was levelling at him. He was hoping for the two of them to co-operate more evenly as this was just meant to be a simple sparring match. Little did he know that in a few moments, this little exercise would spark up a rivalry like none other between two gifted shinobi, as well as lead to a journey that neither of the two would have ever anticipated.

"Okay you two, remember that this is only a sparring match. I expect you both to leave on good terms after this. Now if you would do the signs in show of respect-"

"Screw that!" Naruto spat, interrupting Iruka. "I'm going to win this fight and wipe that look off the teme's face."

Sasuke frowned at the newly given nickname. This Uzumaki whoever he was, was starting to irritate him. Well since he was giving out respectful titles, he might as well come up with one of his own. "You talk too much... dobe."

"..."

"..."

Naruto's fists clenched as he stared hard at the Uchiha before lashing out with a fist aimed right for his left eye. With only the honed instincts of his daily rigorous training and movement unseen to the untrained eye, Sasuke intercepted Naruto's fist before using the built up momentum to send the blond down flat on his back before cocking a fist back only to freeze in place at what he saw...

Sasuke's obsidian orbs stared deeply into the now hollow azure eyes of Naruto, a cold chill spreading through his entire being as there was something about the emptiness in his eyes that terrified him as they brought about a sudden gush of untamed memories involving his family's massacre.

The lifeless eyes of his parents' corpse as they lay dead on the floor as the foul stench of death consumed his senses whilst the cold red orbs of the Mangekyou Sharingan stared into his very soul as his once beloved brother activated-

Sasuke was brought back to reality by a sharp kick to the stomach by one Uzumaki Naruto which in turn caused him to stumble backwards as the blond stood up with a victorious grin plastered on his face, "Got ya! teme!"

Sakura, who had been cheering alongside Ino from the sidelines, stared at Sasuke as she was surprised by the unexpected retaliation. 'What had happened just now between those two that caused Sasuke-kun to freeze up like that?' He had the baka right where he wanted him.

"Stop it both of you!" scolded Iruka. They had just gone on and started without him, initiating the spar and causing a fuss for no reason at all. "Who told you two to engage the other just like that? Now we're just going to have to start all over again."

"Forget that!" came the obnoxiously loud reply from Naruto as he ran off towards the fence surrounding the Academy. Channelling some chakra into his legs, he jumped over the fence, landing on the other side with relative ease.

Time seemed to take a leave of absence as Naruto looked back one last time to meet Sasuke's bewildered gaze. His lips formed a thin line as he realized that for the first time in years since his days at the Academy that he'd actually slipped up and let someone see the boy behind the mask.

The boy that gave up a long time ago...

**-Prologue: The Day Before Tomorrow-**

"You're enjoying this... aren't you?" panted Sasuke, glaring weakly at the form of Hatake Kakashi sitting on the branch of a nearby tree.

The Jounin sensei was currently engrossed with finishing his latest copy of Icha Icha. He spared a nonchalant glance towards the young Uchiha. "Me? Enjoy making my Genin team run around the village twenty six times in under two hours? Now why would you say that Sasuke?"

It had been two weeks since the Academy had placed the newly passed Genin into separate teams of three. The infamous position of Team 7 was placed upon the shoulders of the most dysfunctional three-man cell to ever grace Konoha. Naruto, Sasuke and Sakura had been put to the test by the legendary Jounin, doing their best to catch onto the two bells on him and failed spectacularly.

After a brief lecture on Teamwork and later, a display of teamwork from all three. Kakashi had eagerly passed the new team and sent them off on various D-ranked missions to compensate for novel time.

When Team 7 wasn't busy doing house chores and babysitting, Kakashi would grill them into physical training exercises in order to develop their stamina. Although it wasn't a problem for Naruto and to a lesser extent Sasuke, Sakura on the other hand was falling behind and needed more catching up to do.

Sasuke never really did forget what had happened that day long ago during his years at the Academy. He'd asked Naruto if he wanted to spar the next day, which was really just a test to see if he'd slip up again.

It ended with a young Naruto screaming his head off about how it was unfair that he'd used wires to subdue him, which had Sasuke wondering why he'd just brushed things off like yesterday never happened. He then decided that it was none of his business as he couldn't afford to thing about others as he'd need to get stronger.

Currently, Kakashi had ordered the group to go over laps around the village in order to defuse Naruto and Sasuke's constant bickering, as well as get in some time to read his very entertaining novels. He didn't get what was wrong with reading Icha Icha, he'd figured Jiraiya-sama just had a whole lot of haters.

Sakura, who had just found the strength to stand up, stood next to Sasuke. Levelling a equally weak glare, she raised her slowly shaking fists, "Don't make it sound as if it was easy Kakashi-sensei! We could've died out there!"

Kakashi scratched the back of his head. Okay sure doing that to a bunch of Genin was cruel but the fact of the matter was that they were his Genin Team. Whether they believed he was insane or not didn't matter right, it was holding back the snicker that threatened to burst out from the look on his team's face that didd.

"It wasn't that bad..."

"It wasn't that BAD!" Was Kakashi on prescribed medication or something! Sakura couldn't believe that their sensei was taking things so well. "You sent your Dog summons on us with an order to kill if we couldn't complete the twenty six laps!"

"Well you're alive aren't you?" argued Kakashi, offering an infamous eye smile. Of course they weren't going to die. He created the equivalence of nine Kage Bunshin clones, ordering them into a distinct part of the village in order to survey the progress of the team.

If anything were to go wrong and his summons were to eventually catch up to the group, his clone would appear in the nick of time to call back his summons and get back to training the team on any new jutsus.

See, they were safe. Not that he'd tell them though as the comedic antics of Naruto and Sasuke were all too priceless. Infact, he should make a book about it one day. But now was not the time as Naruto had just woken up from his tem minute nap.

"My body hurts." Naruto mumbled as he rubbed at his eyes tiredly before staring at the eye smile of his sensei.

"..."

Sasuke and Sakura were both expecting Naruto to wail and join their cause in questioning the sanity of Kakashi yet instead found themselves sharing a dry look as he brushed it off and starting pleading for Kakashi-sensei to teach him a new jutsu which Kakashi eventually agreed to.

'Where does he get all that energy?'

...

It was well into the evening now, four hours since they'd been working on their Shinobi Skills. Kakashi had decided then to teach Naruto his own jutsu which stirred up a verbal complain from Sasuke before being silenced by the fact that Naruto's reserves were larger than his was.

At first it brought about questions which Naruto tried to brush off by changing the subject yet eventually Kakashi had to explain that Naruto had sort of a bloodline which allowed him such an advantage. Sorta like the sharingan.

Kakashi didn't really brag much but he was in fact a great liar.

The jutsu was an extension from the basic Kage Bunshin that's form was altered to detonate in a massive explosion when triggered by the user's chakra and trigger word. A nasty move for unsuspected shinobi on patrol routes, even nastier if trying to slow down pursuers whilst fleeing from an assassination mission, it was a tough world out there but that was what the shinobi world was about.

It was also something Sakura wondered about at times when watching Sasuke-kun and Naruto train as hard as they did. The two never got along. Sasuke would be the awesome guy that he was, always calculating the best move for the job whilst Naruto would run in charging with only his guts as his guidance.

He'd always been an enigma that Naruto. As much as she hated how he'd always constantly try and ask her out or declare his love for her, it was always interesting to watch how things played out with him.

He never really did as he was told, surprising even Kakashi-sensei at times with his boldness and will to go on. It was... admirable.

"I think that's enough for today." Kakashi said, eyeing a tired and sweating Sasuke alongside Naruto. "You all did well today. Naruto, you seem to be getting the hang of that jutsu, although it needs more work. Sasuke, your speed's slightly increased, keep it up. Sakura, as always, keep up the splendid chakra control."

Being suddenly put on the spot by Kakashi's praise, Sakura spotted a light blush as Sasuke and Naruto both had their attention on her. "Thanks Kakashi-sensei"

Naruto glanced at Sasuke, something that didn't go unnoticed by Kakashi as he beamed, "Well at least I got some new jutsu in. Not so far behind from ya now am I teme?"

Sasuke scoffed at the idea, "Don't think you'll ever be at my level because of some jutsu dobe. I actual master my jutsu unlike you."

Naruto growled, "What's that supposed to mean?"

"You haven't even gotten far enough with that Bunshin no Daibakuha of yours to scorch a branch, let alone cause a fatal explosive." The Uchiha then smirked. He knew he'dd gotten to him with that one.

'Oh boy...' though Kakashi wryly. It was always like this. One would start up an argument and it would end with fists flying. Something Kakashi wasn't fond of.

It was a gamble but the sudden idea struck Kakashi like a cord, it ought to result in a little bonding time for Team 7. "Okay that's enough! You two have been at each other's throats for the entire week. In order to get the stress from training out of your system, you'll all need to relax and bond a little over some ramen."

Naruto's eyes lit up at the mention of ramen, mouth already drooling at the prospect. "Thanks Kakashi-sensei! You're the coolest!"

Kakashi could only offer an eye smile.

...

"Damn that man..." Naruto muttered with a dry look, Sakura and Sasuke in tow. "Leaving us with the bill like that."

Team 7 had just gotten back from Ichiraku Ramen. Kakashi had taken them there in order to do a little bonding, which all of them didn't mind in the least until at the last moment their sensei disappeared in a whirl of leaves as Ayame presented them the bill.

Naruto, having expected Kakashi to pay for the meal, stuffed his face with as much miso as he could take.

Sakura was the first to have Naurto realise that their sensei had ditched them by delivering a good hook to the head.

Now they were currently walking on a quiet street with no civilians in sight at this late hour. They unknowingly had just entered one of the poorest districts in Konoha. They didn't really think they'd get into any trouble, that all changed though when on the next right, a tavern came into view with one lone figure wobbling outside of the complex, slowly trudging towards them.

A drunkard was exiting the club, having stuffed himself with enough alcohol to make him sleep in the whole of next week as he walked towards the group. He wore the standard green vest and had a Konoha leaf headband which signified that he was a Chuunin.

'What's a Chuunin doing here?' At first Sakura tensed, watching him approach before looking to Sasuke and Naruto, a firm calmness expressed on their features. That had seemed to ease her worries.

The man passed by, not really taking the group before pausing in mid-step to glare at the blond boy clad in orange. "You..."

Naruto frowned at the older shinobi, muscles tensing at the glare he was sending him. "What's your problem old man?"

The shinobi's glare seemed to harden even more, "You're the one. The one who's caused this village so much pain... You're the one that killed my wife!"

Naruto visibly cringed whilst two pairs of eyes widened in shock.

Sasuke wasn't sure if this older Chuunin was delusion but then with the way Naruto reacted visibly, you'd think he was telling the truth.

Sakura was shivering slightly, the glare this Chuunin was sending Naruto was filled with so much disgust and hate that she started stepping back from the sudden killer intent flowing through him. They couldn't expect to beat a Chuunin, they just weren't strong enough.

"Curse you... Demon spawn!" yelled the drunken shinobi before lunging at Naruto with a kunai he'd just taken out from his pouch. "With your death, I'll avenge all the lives you've took!"

Naruto and Sasuke were quick to act. Sasuke retaliating by throwing three shuriken towards the Chuunin's line of vision as Naruto jumped back to avoid the strike, hands already forming the familiar sign for his signature jutsu. "Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!"

Although drunk, the Chuunin shinobi was aware of the shuriken heading his way and deflected two of the projectiles with his kunai before intercepting the third only for a loud pop followed by a puff of smoke to cloud his view. "***cough* **you won't get away you damn spawn!"

The smoke cleared to reveal four clones surrounded protectively in front of Sakura whilst Sasuke was mid-air, his leg lashing out to deliver a kick to the drunkard's nose causing blood to spray out as the shinobi stumbled back, clutching his nose with one hand.

He had to end things quickly, even though their opponent was drunk and disorientated, he was still a Chuunin and that meant that he was probably faster than all three, which also meant that he knew a lot more jutsu than they did.

Sasuke was caught by surprise though as four Naruto clones rushed passed him to do battle with the shinobi bent on killing him. "Naruto! What the hell do you think you're doing!?"

The two clones set in front, aimed for the man's legs whilst the other cocked a fist as he aimed for the man's sternum. All blows connected only for the clones eyes to widen in surprise as they're foots and fists met with wood. 'Kawarimi-'

Three of the four clones were simultaneously dispatched as the Chuunin had appeared from above them, slashing at them with his kunai. The original was lucky enough to get stand back when his clones went in for the kill. The Chuunin had, had enough, he didn't think he'd have to use this against a bunch of Genin but he had no choice as they were more skilled than regular Genin. The combo he had set in mind would take most of his chakra to pull this off but it would get the job done. He would have to kill them all as to leave no witnesses. He initiated the proper hand signs before channelling his chakra. "Doton: Retsudo Tensho!"

Naruto, Sasuke and Sakura all found themselves unable to move as they were sinking fast under a newly formed puddle of thick swirling mud.

Sakura started screaming for help, "Naruto! Sasuke-kun!"

The Chuunin smirked, "Nice little trap isn't it? Retsudo Tensho is an Earth style jutsu that causes the terrain around the opponent's range to change into mud before swirling and slowly sucking them in, a slow and terrifying way to die, especially for the likes of little Genin like you!"

Sasuke tried to move but found that he was sinking even faster into the technique. "Damnit! We have to get out of here!" he turned to Naruto, a plan formulating in his mind. "Don't just stand there and sink, use Kage Bunshin to get your clones to pull us out!"

"Oh no you don't!" yelled the Chuunin assailant, performing certain hand signs that made Sasuke's eyes widen, "Suiton: Suigadan!"

From the very moist of the air itself, the Chuunin created four large spiralling masses of water with sharpened points, drilling through the air at the three in front of him. His technique crashed into the group, seeming shredding them to pieces till the water cleared to reveal the group completely socked and unharmed.

What was worse was that all three were out of his trap jutsu. "Wh-what?"

Naruto glared coldly, unseen to Sasuke and Sakura, as he threw three kunai from his pouch at the damned drunkard. The older shinobi raised a brow. Was the demon brat really that stupid to use a attack like that against him yet again? He may have been worn out but there was no way in hell something that simple would hit him.

He lifted his arm to intercept the first incoming kunai, only for his eyes to widen as it popped into Naruto. The blond grinned as he caught one of the kunai sailing into the air, capitalizing on the ninja's momentary shock as he slashed the Chuunin across his face.

Sasuke and Sakura both shared a look of disbelieve at Naruto's quick thinking in a situation like this. Had the blond they'd come to know as dead last really been this good?

What else was Naruto hiding from them other than his apparent bloodline gekkai kekkai?

All of their wondering thoughts came to stop though as the Chuunin, in a act of desperation, latched onto Naruto's arm, using his superior strength to pull down as to send the boy's momentum crashing against him.

"You pathetic excuse for demonic filth!" spat the Chuunin, blood dripping onto his face from the gash across his eye. Kneeing Naruto in the stomach, he proceeded to glared down at the boy. "How dare you do this to me you demonic creature! I'll send you to hell for this!"

Naruto looked up to the Chuunin, cold dead orbs meeting his glare. "You're forgetting something."

"What!?"

"The third kunai..."

The Chuunin's eyes widened in alarm as he looked around, only to feel the cold steel of the third kunai on his back, how'd the hell it get there? "What! How'd you-"

The kunai popped into a Naruto clone that hung to his neck, trying to strangle the life out of him. The Leaf ninja struggled to break free as he met Naruto's eyes. "Bunshin no..." his eyes widened in horror as he desperately tried to break free but it was too late, "Daibakuha!"

The minor explosion erupted from his back as the Kage Bunshin exploded, wiping out a large portion of the ninja's back and chest contents as Naruto was sent hurdling away from the force of the detonation.

Sasuke rushed to his teammate, crouching to check his vitals only to note that the front portion of his clothes had been blown off. Naruto's skin was singed from the chest downwards.

Sakura had been frozen to her spot for awhile before rushing over to check up on Naruto with Sasuke-kun. "Naruto!"

Said blond calmly opened his eyes to stare at the shocked faces of his comrades, "Yo."

Sasuke for one was calm, either that or he was really good at hiding his adrenaline induced shivering unlike Sakura who looked to be on the edge of a breakdown. "Are you stupid or something!?" Naruto cringed. "What were you thinking using the jutsu Kakashi-sensei taught you today in a fight if you hadn't perfected it! You could have... you could have died!"

Naruto sat up slowly, seeming to ignore Sakura's scolding as he stared at the dead corpse of the shinobi that had just tried to kill them.

Sasuke noticed where his eyes trailed off to and felt the bile rise to his throat before turning away from the grotesque scene. He may have seen dead bodies filter the houses of the Uchiha Clan whilst on the pursuit for his fleeing brother but never had he seen one in such a torn state.

He looked back to Naruto, a firm frown on his face. "Sakura's right... You of all people knew that technique, whether you had it under control or not, could've still killed you from that close a range. And don't even give me that crap about it was a heat of the moment thing Naurto. What the hell's wrong with you! You could have died in that explosion."

"So what?" asked the blond in an all too calm voice. The Naruto in front of them was different compared to the one they had grown accustomed to in the Academy. Was Naruto the same person they knew? They were starting to wonder if they even knew him at all?

A cold breeze began to kick up as Naruto turned away from them, he'd make sure to mutter the next part. "Besides, my life... doesn't really matter."

Three pairs of eyes widened as Naruto quickly turned back, realising that his teammates had overheard him thoughtlessly mutter those words. He put on a grin, trying to salvage his fuck up. "Hey come on! We won our first battle! Against a Chuunin! Sure we almost died but hey we're shinobi now!"

Sakura stared long and hard at Naruto, not saying a word a first. Finally,of his moving to grap at his collar while yelling and asking if he thought they were stupid enough to not see through that grin of his before stopping to feel a familiar presence behind them.

Kakashi had just jumped off a roof. He had arrived on the scene just in time witness Naruto use Bunshin no Daibakuha on the drunk Chuunin shinobi that had apparently attacked them out of nowhere. He overheard the entire conversation, paying special attention to Naruto's calm demeanour before getting a surprise of his own at what Naruto had thoughtlessly implied.

This was something he'd have to take up with the Hokage sooner or later but first he'd have to do some research of his own on his student.

"You all seemed to be doing fine. Nothing too serious I hope?" Besides having their clothes soaked in water and mud, they seemed to be okay. Well except for Naruto, who was spotting a nasty bruise on the side of his head and had his skin slightly singed, along with some blood sticking to his hair. "We better get to the hospital just to make sure."

Naruto rubbed at his cheek, "Sure thing Kakashi-sensei! Let's..."

The last thing Naruto could see was Kakashi, Sakura and Sasuke rushing over, droned 'Narutos' reaching his ears before it all went black.

...

**And we're done. Just like to add that this is a plot bunnie given to me by Nobody102.**

**I hope I was able to make this chapter decent enough for all of you.**

**See ya!**


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